Flying-machine.



M. G. ADAMS.

FLYING MACHINE.

. APPLIoA'rIoN r'mm 4111.24, 190e.

Patented Sept. 19,1911.

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FLYING MACHINE. i APPLICATION FILED APB.24, 1909.

- Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

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ATTORNEYS M. G. ADAMS.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED A1124, 1909.

Patented Sept. 19,'1911.

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ATTORNEYS -UNITED stra'rrsl iDnTENT oFFIcE.

v armonie Gamma ADAMS, ofi?" reasons, lumens,

FLYING-anomali.

-To .all 1whom it ms www:

Be it known that I, MALCOLM GRovER .1A-onlus, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and

` a' resident of Parsons, in the county' of Labette and State o fKansas,have invented a new and Improved Flying-Machine, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

Thisl invention relates to il ing machines and more particularly to aflying machine in which is provided a steering surface or rudder, andA acontrolling surface operatively connected with the steering surface andarranged to move bodily under the influence of air pressurethereagainst.

The object of the invention is to specification of mm ramt:

a simple and efficient airship in Whlch the4v stability in flight of themachine is automatioally controlled.

A further object .of the invention is tov provide a machine of the classdescribed in which a surface normally free to move bodily controlsasteering or guiding surface, so that if the machine executes an ir.-

regular movement the ressure of the wind l or air against. the imalanced or movable surface operates the same, in turn to operatethefguidmg surface, to 'direct the airship so 'th t it'returns to its'course, or to re.- estabhshoits fore'and aft or other stability.

The invention co'n'sist's in the construction and combination of partsto be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forthin theclaims` Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings forming apart of this specifica? tion, in which similar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in al] the views, and in which- Figure 1 isa side elevation of an airship havinganembodiment of my invention ap- 'ypliedqthreto; Fig,2 is a plan View of a part of the airshi showing myattachment; Fig. 3 is a parta transverse section of the machine; Fig. 4is a side elevation of an airship having a modified form of m invent-ionapplied thereto 'Fig.'5 'isa p an view of a. part of the airsh'p showingthe modiiedattachment; Fig.' 6 is an enlarged elevation showing adetail; Fi 7 is an yeni larged-eievation showing'a urther detail;

Flg. 8 is a front elevation ofthe detail shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is aside'elevation of a paiiof controlling surfaces of modiiied formg' Fig.10 is, a similar view 'showing a pair of controlling surfaces offurthermodi- Vpart itselff. The expression `for other causes. `trollingsurfaces can move bodily, it is not.

a pair ofcontrolling surfaces of still further moditied form; and Fig.12 is a simlar View showing a pair of controlling surfaces llke to thoseshown in Fig. 11, but sli htly modified.

Patented sept. 19,1911. Applicatie m44pr11s4 .1o. smal No. 491.901.

' tied form; Fig. 1 1 is a similar view showing .efore proceeding to amore detailed ex- I lanation of my invention, it .should be un-y erstoodthat the resent application discloses various modiged forms of thedevice shown in my ,coending application filed April 1 8, 1909, un erthe Serial No. 690,663. In the latter I described a'flying machine inwhich a guiding surface was operatively,

connected with a controlling surface which rovide I was free to swing.In the present application is shown a controlling surface which isfreeto move bodily and in which the series of details of construction suchas the means for operatively and adjustably connectin the controllingsurface or surfaces With t e steerin surface or.,surfaces, areim'proved. Need ess to say, the present form or forms of the inventioncan be applied to varioustypes of flying machines, and I havemerely usedthe machine shown in the accompanying drawings for example.

The expressions to move bodily, and bodily movement, used herewith inthe descriptionof the operation ofmy invention, meanthat the partsreferred to, when they ychange their positionsunder the influence of a1rpressure, or for other causes, move from one position to another inparallelism; that is, each successiveposition is substantially parallelto a preceding position, or a subsequent one. movement also means amovement other than a pivotal one about an axis lying within the ment isusedtov indicate that the'partsre- In addition,J the lbodily freemoveferred to are not-held rigidly against move'- I ment2 but arerestrained' in their normal positlons 'resiliently only, and are-'freeto move under the influence of air pressure, or

In saying that the conintended to limit their movements toone ofabsolute parallelism, for slight diiferences' of angularit with respectto the' horizontal are permissi le, so that the movement issubstantially onev of parallelism. The term might be more exactlydescribed by saying that it means that the entire part changes,"

its position when moved.

ferring more particularly ,to the -draw i ings, the `iying machine hasskids or run- I ners 10 carrying the uprights 11 upon which are mountedthe supporting surfaces or aeroplanes 12. The forward ends 13ofthe skids10 are upwardly disposed and' have therebetween a shaft 14 upon which ismounted 'the frame 15 of the rudder which is prouprights 11 and havebearings in which is j ournaled a main shaft 22. Fu'her'brackets 23underneath the brackets 20 have bearings 24 in which are journaled shortshafts '25. The shaft 22 extends for substantially the entire width ofthe airship, whereas the short shaft 25 extends merely from one uplright 11 to an adjacent upright, as is ,shown I most clearly in Fig. 3.Near the lower ends of the uprights 11 are provided still furtherbrackets 26, having bearings 27 in which- L is journaled a furthe-rshaft 28 similar and parallel to thevshaftv 22.

A hand lever 29 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 22 and has a grip 30by means of which it is manually controlled. A link 31 is pivotallyconnected at one end with the upper extremity ofthe lever 29 and at theother end with an arm 32 ri 'd with the frame 15 of the rudder where ythe-latter can be controlled by means of the lever. A e collar 33 rigidupon the shaft 22 prevents g the movement of the lever 29 longitudinallyof the shaft 22 in one direction. At the other side of lthe lever ismounted uponthe shaft a rigid se ment 34 adapted to be. engaged by amova le member 35 controlling a rocking handle 36 pivoted upon thelever. By means of lthe segment34 andthe member 35 .the lever can bereleasably connected with the shaft 22.

One of the uprights 11 has a special bracket 37, the shaftbearin 38 ofwhlch is provided with notches 39 a apted to be -engaged by the nose 40of a short lever-41 pivoted at a bracket 42 rigidly ca'rried by theshaft 22. The vshort lever 41 has guides 43 in which is slidably mounteda member 44 having a head 45 adapted to engage notches 46 of anextension 47 of the bracket 42. A spring 48 is mounted upon the member44 and normally forces the head 45 toward ythe notches 46.. yArockinghandle 49 pivoted upon the lever is operatively connected by means of alink 50 with the member 44. B means of this lever the shaft can be helagainst turning movements and the member 44 permits the lever 41 tobe'operatively or inoperatively disposed.

The shaft 22 has rigid, rearwardly eXtend ing arms 51.. .The shaftsections25 have ina plurality of positions.

rigid, upwardly extending arms 52. yThe latter have pivotally secured atthe ends', r

51 and the members 53 being pivotally con'- nected -with frame uprights55 which, to gether with similarl members 56, c arry the controllingsurfaces 57. The latter are preferably arranged in pairs and arenormally` parallel. Crossed ties '58 join the members and 56 to bracethe structure. Certain of the uprights 11 have rigid stubs 59 to 1 whichare secured springs 60, thelower endsy of which are fastened at the arms51. These springs counteract the Weights of the parts and hold thesurfaces 57 ,in normal,

substantially horizontal positions, in the normal position of the flyingmachines. The shaft sections 25 have further, rigid arms 61 pivotally,connected by means of links 62 vwith similar arms 63 rigidl mounted.upon

the shaft 28. A lever.6 4 rigid with the shaft 28 serves for manuallycontrolling the same.

Al notched segment 65 rigidly secured upon one of the uprights 11 ispositioned adj acent to the lever 64 and is arranged to be en gaged byya member 66 movably mounted upon the lever and controlled by a rockinghandle `67, so that the lever 64 can be locked The shaft 28 servesv forthe adjustment of the controlling surfaces. By suitably moving thelever64, the shaft 28. can be operated so that through the shaft sections25the angles of both sets of controlling surfaces relative to the liftingplanes 12 can be changed. Itwill be understood that these move bodily,the arm 51 and the member 53 constituting a parallel motion frame.

vThe adjustin shaft 28 is used when the controlling sur aces are in suchposition that y they tend to steer the machine either up or down;consequently, if the machine tends to dip in frontbecause the liftingplanes 12 are Y at their normal angle with the horizontal, the airstrikes the controlling planes on the undersides and these then tendtogive the front rudder a negative anglewith respect to the horizontal.the lever 64 is moved' backward a notch or two, thereby adjustingthrough-the connections, the controllin. planes, so thatthe air pressureis equalize on the top and the bottom thereof; that is, it is balanced,and the controlling planes will then tendV to remain To overcome thisaction 1n normal, central positions and will not interfere with thesteering of the machinestraight ahead. Naturally if the tendency of themachine is to rise, the reverse adjustment of1 the parts 'is necessary.'

In Figs. 4 and 5 is illustrated a modified form of the device inWhichthe pairs of controlling surfaces are -arranged to'slide bodilyupwa-rd and downward upon suitableV guide supports. Certain of theuprights 11.

at the upper ends have rigidly projectin arms 68. Pivotally secured atthe ends o the arms 68 areuides 69 which are substantially vertical 1nthe normal position 0I the machine, and which, in the form of the deviceshown in the drawings2 are arran ed' in front of the uprights 11 owmg'tothe act- `to be desirable.

Near the lower ends, the uprights 1-1 have brackets 70 provided withbearings 71 in which is journaled a transverse-.adjusting shaft 72. Thelatter has rigid armsi73--operatively connected with the lower -ends ofthe guides 69 by means of links 74. An ad-y justlng lever 75 is rigidlysecured to the lshaft 72 and hasa movable member 7.6 controlled by a'rocking handle 77'and adaptedi to engage notches of a notched segment781 to lock the shaft in a plurality of positions.

The uprights 1 1 have further brackets 79;

' provided with bearings 8O in which is journaled the main shaft 81, Thecontrolling lever 82 loose upon'the shaft 81 is opera-` tively connectedby means of a link 83, with;

-a downwardlydisposed stub 84 secured to A the frame 15 of the frontrudder. The lever has the customary member 85 adapted operatively toengage the notched segment 86 and controlled by the rocking handle 87 asis the case in the `other form of the device.

The shaft 81 has pairs of forwardly ex-4 i tending rigid members 88arranged between the units of the pairs of controlling surfaces 89.These are preferably wedge-shaped andI at the broader ends have rollercarriers 90,

'bymeans of which they are movably mounted upon the guides 69. They arejoinedby connecting members 91 whlch s ace them. rigidly. Between Ythesurfaces o. each pair are positioned spaced bars 92 which receivetherebetween the members 88, and between the bars 92 are positionedyokes 93 whichl are pivotally held in place by -means of pivot bolts 94arranged insuitable openings of the bars. 'Ihe yokes have offset bars 95in which, are located heads 96 of the bolts 94. -Pivotally carried bythe yokes are spaced,t grooved rollers 97 pivotally mounted in. place bymeans of suitable bolts 98. The. members 88 pass between the groovedrollers s and are' thus movably connected with'the4 pairs of controllingsurfaces. Each ,of the members 88 at the free end has a head 99; whichlimits the downward and upward".

vangle with respect to the liftin correspondin ymovement of the surfacesby en aging .the

rollers. It will be understood, t at as the surfaces move upward anddownward, the members 88 are correspondingly elevated or depressed, andthereby operate the shaft 81 to control the rudder. The provision of thepivoted yokes 93 prevents the binding of the members 88 when they assumeangular p0- sitions. The guides 69 have rigid arms 100 which areconnected by means of springs 101 with the controlling surfaces. Theseling surfaces. The guide supports have further arms 102 and 103 at theupper and lower ends respectively, connected by rneans of springs 104and 105 with the surfaces.` These last-mentioned springs tend to holdthe surfaces in normal, substantially central positions.

It will be understood that b means of the adjusting shaft 72 the gui esupports 69 can be lmoved inward and outward to .regulate the. positionsof the controlling sursprings balance the weight of the controlfaces andthereby to adjust the sam'e with respect 'to the lifting planes 12, asis the case re ulated by adjustments of the shaft28.

n the forms of the device described above, the controlling planes whenset at a given planes 12 can move upward and downwar but maintain thisrelative angle with iespect to the planes 12. If so Vdesired thecontrolling planes can be arranged to vary this angle relative to thelifting planes as they change their positions in moving upward ordownward. The arrangement shown in Fig. 9 is similar to that illustratedin Fig. 1, the parts in Fi 9 having the letter a 7 a ded to the reerence numerals indicatin them. These parts are similar to those of t eform of Fig. 1, with the exception that the arm 51 and the member 53 arenot parallel as is the case of the arm 51 and the member 53.'Consequently the structure is not similar to that of a parallel motionframe, and the angularity of the Aplanes 57"'changes as they move bodilyupward and downward.y As the planes move upward they assume- 'alesspositive angle with the horizontal and"` the 'tendency is thereby tolimit the travel. In Fig; 10 the parts are again similar, thereference"l numerals having added thereto the letter bt, The differencein thisfigure however, is that 4' the arm 51b and the member 53b have adifferent angular relation s'o that as the planes 57b move u ward theirositive angle with respect to e, horizontalpincreases.

In Figs. 11 and 12 are shown forms ofthe device similar to thatillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the respective letters a and b thePrevious1 described form of the de- `v1ce, whereln t e controllingsurfaces are being added to the reference numerals of the correspondingparts. In these forms of the device the vguide supports however, arecurved so that the controlling surfaces 89 and 89b ma assume differentangles with respect to t e lifting dplanes as they move upward anddownwar Having thusl described my invention, I 'claim as new, and desireAto secure-'by Letters Patent 1. I n a flying machine, a steeringsurface,

a plurality ofl independent controlling sur- 'f aces, and common meansfor o eratively connecting said controlling sur aces and said steeringsurface.

2. Ina iiying'machine, a steering surface, a plurality of independentpairs of superposed,` rigidl connected, controlllng surfaces, meansoroperating said steering sur-l '-face,f.and; common` means foroperatively connecting 'said first means and said pairs of surfaces'. y

3.' In a flying machine,a rudder, a shaft,

a lever loosely carried by said shaft and operatively connected withsaid rudder, means for adjustably and rigidly connecting saidv shaft andsaid lever, a controlling surface,

and a parallel motion-v frame connecting said controlling surface andsaid shaft.

4.-. In a llying machine, a rudder, ashaft, a lever lloosely mountedupon saidshaft, a

link connecting said lever andsaid rudder, means for operatively `andrigidly connect-- ing-said lever and said shaft, a controlling.

surface free to move bodily, a connection between said surface and saidshaft, whereby said surface is constrained to move in predeshaft, an armrigid with said shaft, a second shaftV having an arm, a member pivotallvconnected with said arm of said second shaft and constituting with saidarm of said first shaft, a parallel motion frame, and a controllingsurface connected with said arm' of said first shaft and said member.

6. In a flying machine, a rudder, a shaft,U

means forl operatively connecting said sha-ft and said rudder, a secondshaft, a parallel. motion frame comprising members each con nected withone of said shafts, and a con-1 trolling surface secured to saidmembers.

7. In a flying machine, a rudder, a shaft, a second shaft, a parallelmotion frame comprising members each connected with oneof said shafts,means for adjusting one of said shafts and for. holding it in aplurality of'V positions, a controlling surface connected with saidmembers, means for operatively connectlng one of said shafts and saidrudder, and springs tending to hold said con-2 surface and said membersrespecbers being secured to said arm of said first trolling 'tlvely mnormal positions.

' Loca-sae s 8. In a dying machine, a rudder, a shafty linkoperatively.- connecting said rudder, a segment rigi a memberv slidableupon said lever Vand",

adapted to engage said se ent to `locksaidv lever with respect tofsai-shaft,va parallel" motion frame connected with said Shaft,and.f acontrolling surface secured -to said-frame.I

9. In a iiying machine, a rudder, ashaft, a lever loose upon said shaft,a-link opera#- tively connecting said lever and saidjrudder, lmeans forlocking said lever with respect to said shaft, a second shaft, an armrigid. with said' first shaft, an arm rigid with said second shaft, a.member pivotally secured to Asaid arm ofv said second shaft, aspring'tend-y ing to hold said member parallel with -refV spect to saidarm of said first shaft, and a controlling surface secured to said armof saidfirst shaft and said member.'

10. Ina flying machine, a rudder, a shaft,

a lever mounted uponsaid shaft and operatively connected with saidshaft, a' secondL shaft, an arm ,rigid with said first shaft, an

arm rigid with said secondshaft a member secured to lsaid arm of saidsecond 'shaft and face secured to said frame, a third shaft, a linkconnecting said third shaft and second shaft.

. 11. In a flying machine, arudder, a shaft,

a`lever controlling said shaft and operatively connected with saidrudder, an arm rigid with said shaft, a second shaft, an'arm 'rigid withsaid second shaft, a-member pivshaft, said second shaft having a furtherarm5rigid therewith, a link connecting said further arm of said secondshaft and said arm of said third shaft, and means for adjusting saidthird'shaftr 12. In a flying machine, a'rudder, a'shaflt,

'constituting' with said arm of said rstshaft Y s a parallel motion;frame, a 'controllingsun shaft, and means for adjusting said third! alever loose upon said shaft and Vcarrying a u movable member, a notchedsegment rigid with said shaft and adapted to be engaged by said memberto lock said lever with respect to said shaft, a link operativelyconnecting said rudder and said lever, an arm rigid with said shaft,asecond shaft, 'an arm,

rigid with said second shaft, a member pivotally secured to said armA ofsaid second shaft and constituting, with said arm of said first shaft, aparallel motion frame, a pair of controllln surfaces, -members rlgidlyconnecting said surfaces, one of sald memshaft and said first-mentionedmember, springs connecting said arm of said first shaft and saidfirst-mentioned member, and tending to hold them in normal positions,' athird shaft, further arms rigid with said second shaft and said thirdshaft, a link connecting said further arms, a fixed, notched segment, ale'ver rigid with said third shaft and having a movable member adaptedto engage said fixed segment to hold said third-shaft in a plurality ofadjustments, and anspring having one end fixed and the other end securedto said ann of said first shaft, whereby said spring tends tocounterbalance the weight of said control- 15 linlg surfaces.

n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MALCOLM GROVERADAMS.

Witnesses:

LEILA L. WILSON, OBA F. ADAMS.

